Phonetic Challenges in French Pronunciation: Evidence-Based Error Analysis and Pedagogical Strategies for Turkish A2+ Learners
Abstract
This study systematically examines the phonetic challenges faced by Turkish learners of French at the A2+ proficiency level, focusing on nine domains: The French uvular /ʁ/, different forms of vowel {-e-}, connected speech phenomena (liaison, enchainment, elision), consonants generally not pronounced, nasal sounds, prosodic features (intonation, rhythm, and stress), silent letters, consonants sometimes, pronounced, complex vowels (diphthongs and triphthongs). Data from 43 A2+-level learners was analysed using a robust methodological framework, including inter-rater reliability metrics (Cohen’s Kappa κ > 0.90), acoustic analysis, and statistical validation. Results reveal systematic error patterns largely attributed to phonological transfer and the structural differences between Turkish and French. A few errors contain a higher frequency, including liaison omissions, uvular /ʁ/ misarticulation, and nasal vowel replacements. Such aspects make the requirements for focused educational efforts more apparent. Those practices incorporate techniques for addressing auditory disparities, articulation education, and the integration of advanced technology to obtain immediate feedback. This study adds to bilingualism and phonics education conversations by developing a legitimate and trustworthy structure for L2 linguistic evaluation. It also provides scientific standards and valuable suggestions for improving intonation instruction and learning.
Keywords
Phonetic Analysis; Phonetic Errors, Turkish learners; Vocalisation Errors; Phonological Transfer, Pedagogical Strategies
Ethical Statement
During the writing process of this study, generative artificial intelligence tools (specifically ChatGPT-4, DeepL Translate and SciSpace) were utilized to ensure linguistic coherence and to format references. The AI support used was solely for formal and stylistic enhancement; all content-related decisions, literature selection, and scientific analyses were carried out entirely under the academic responsibility of the author.
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